Path search circuit for simultaneously performing antenna directivity control and path search

A path search circuit in a CDMA cellular system, comprising:

• an antenna having a plurality of elements;
• a plurality of radio receivers for frequency-converting radio frequency signals received respectively by the elements of the antenna into respective baseband signals;
• a plurality of A/D converters for converting the respective baseband signals into digital data;
• a plurality of correlation processors for calculating cross correlations between the digital data converted from the baseband signals and a signal known at a reception side, and outputting respective correlation signals;
• a weighted-mean-value processor for weighting and adding the correlation signals output from said correlation processors based on indicated weighting coefficients, and averaging the weighted and added correlation signals for a predetermined number of times;
• a correlation peak detector for detecting at least one peak from the weighted, added and averaged correlation signals output as delay profiles from said weighted-mean-value processor, and outputting a reception level and reception timing corresponding to the detected peak as a reception level and reception timing of a reception path;
• and
• a weighting controller for controlling said weighting coefficients to determine a directivity of said antenna and generating a plurality of weighting coefficients to establish a plurality of general antenna directivities for dividing a sector where a mobile terminal with which to communicate is present, wherein said weighting controller comprises means for generating combinations of weighting coefficients for establishing an antenna directivity in a plurality of directions in which a party to communicate with is possibly present, when a communication session starts, and reducing the number of combinations to be generated during the communication session so as to be smaller than the number of combinations to be generated when the communication session starts.